Tag: celebrating 40

You’re going where? Why? That’s how my friends responded when I told them I was going to Antarctica. Little did they know that the coldest place on earth is becoming one of the hottest travel destinations with more than 25,000 visitors a year. Antarctica is also one of the most difficult places on earth to reach – so travelers must visit during the southern hemisphere’s summer – the winter months for the U.S. – when the ice melts enough to allow access to the continent’s outer banks. So December is a great time to cruise to Antarctica!

I made the journey years ago. My cruise to the “bottom of the world” began with an 11-hour flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires, Argentina. After a night on the town and an excellent steak dinner (Argentina is known for its beef), I was up early the next morning for a three-and-a-half-hour flight to Ushuaia, Argentina—the southern-most country in the world. This seaport and ski town is partly surrounded by the beautiful Andes Mountains. One of the jumping-off points for a cruise to the “bottom of the world” is Ushuaia, Argentina.I took the Clipper Adventurer, with about 100 other passengers. The cruise line has been cruising to Antarctica since 1998. (Photo: Kalin with a few of Antarctica’s most famous inhabitants)